


letterman.

by rickysnini



Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexual Ricky Bowen (HSM: The Series), M/M, Mentions of homophobia, Sad Ricky Bowen (HSM: The Series), caswen, ej cares too much about what people think, ej is kind of a dickhead, ej's real name is elijah, letterman jacket, ricky is a sad bisexual, ricky only calls him that when he's upset, rj - Freeform, the waterpolo team are dicks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:00:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24338545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rickysnini/pseuds/rickysnini
Summary: ej's waterpolo letterman jacket had always been a symbol in his and ricky's relationship, ricky was almost never seen without it. until things started to change between the two of them.
Relationships: Ashlyn Caswell & Kourtney, Ashlyn Caswell/Kourtney, Big Red & Kourtney (HSM: The Series), Gina Porter & Nini Salazar-Roberts, Gina Porter/Nini Salazar-Roberts, Ricky Bowen & E.J. Caswell, Ricky Bowen/E.J. Caswell, Seb Matthew-Smith & Carlos Rodriguez, Seb Matthew-Smith/Carlos Rodriguez
Comments: 5
Kudos: 87





	letterman.

The letterman jacket that EJ had earned from his time on the water polo team was a significant symbol in his and Ricky Bowen's relationship. Ever since the two had started dating Ricky was almost never seen without the red jacket. It meant something to the two of them especially Ricky. To him, the jacket was his way of telling himself that EJ was always there when he needed him even if he actually wasn't there physically. Others may have seen it as a jacket given to the senior by the school but to them it was special. Until, things changed between the pair.

The day things started to change between them it was after EJ's water polo practice. Him and all of the other guys changing after their showers and the senior overheard one of the underclassmen on the team, his name might have been Aiden? EJ didn't really pay much attention to them until now. The kid mumble something about one of his friends coming out to him as bisexual and it making him uncomfortable. His statement made EJ's skin crawl but he really didn't know why. All of his friends had known he was bisexual, most of the upperclassmen on the team knew that he was not straight and they didn't seem to have a problem with it. So why was this small comment from a sophomore making him feel so bad?

EJ had always been the type of person to care too much about what people thought, that's why it took him so long to come out to his friends but when he finally did a heavy weight had been taken off his shoulders. He had been trying to work on this issue and Ricky had been helping him a ton. But sometimes he just couldn't help but think about what people thought about him. That's why he always saw it as his duty to be the popular guy and being the captain of the water polo team gave him that. So, when the comment was made it threw him off. As he walked out of the locker room and out the doors of East High where Ricky was waiting for him, he had many thoughts running through his head.

_What if all of the team actually hates me?_

_Will my sexuality change my status on the team?_

_What if this fucks with my reputation?_

The senior was snapped out of his thoughts by his boyfriend hitting his shoulder lightly, looking up at him with his head tilted to the side and his eyebrows raised, "Are you okay? You're out of it." Ricky said as they started walking to EJ's car

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Just a tiring practice." EJ sent him a small smile and Ricky hesitantly nodded his head, reaching over and attempting to intertwine their fingers. His actions caused EJ to quickly snap his hand away and clear his head, slightly moving away from his boyfriend. 

Ricky opened his mouth but quickly closed it, deciding to brush the interaction off, telling himself that EJ was just acting weird because of his practice and that things were okay between them. 

~

Things had gotten so much worse for them and everyone had noticed it. EJ had become extremely distant only holding Ricky's hand when no one was around except for their friends. The two rarely hung out anymore only seeing each other in school, EJ always seeming to have something else important to do when Ricky asked him to hang out. It even came to the point where Ricky had to start riding his skateboard home again because EJ always had an excuse not to give him a ride now. 

All of their friends saw what was happening, usually sending Ricky sympathetic looks when EJ would let go of his hand or pull away from attempted hugs and kisses but still nobody knew what was going on with the senior and it was taking a toll on everyone, especially Ricky. 

The junior was already insecure about himself, he was dating one of the most popular guys in school who could leave him for someone better in seconds. So when EJ started to become distant, he was scared as all hell. Ricky didn't know what to do, he had tried to talk to his boyfriend about the situation but EJ always said that he was perfectly fine and quickly changed the subject. 

Though the two were going through a rough patch in their relationship, Ricky still had EJ's letterman, it reminded him that he was EJ's and EJ's was his and it made him feel better. On days when EJ would dodge kisses and hugs, not hold his hand or just flat out ignore him the jacket would always make the junior feel better and make him feel less insecure. It reminded him that he was okay. 

Until the day that EJ had asked Ricky to give him the letterman back. 

It was a Monday and Ricky was already having a shitty day. He slept through his alarm, wasn't able to find any socks, burnt his toast and his milk was expired. And to top it all off because of EJ not giving him rides to school anymore, he had to skateboard there which would make him later than he already was. But even though his day was starting off on a rough foot his yelled bye to his dad and threw on the red jacket with EJ's name on it and walked out the door. 

When he walked into East High he went straight to his boyfriend who was standing and talking with the water polo team, even though he didn't expect too much he thought the EJ would at least give him a hug or maybe even a smile so he walked up to them and tapped on EJ's shoulder, "Hey bub, how was your weekend?"

Visibly tensing, EJ turned around, clearing his throat, "Um hey. It was fine" 

"I missed you! I tried to call but it went straight to voicemail to I figured you were busy." Ricky said a smile still plastered across his lips. 

EJ glanced over at the team who weren't invested in their conversation at all, carrying on with the one they were having before Ricky had arrived, EJ took a deep breath and stepped closer to his boyfriend, "Give me back the jacket." The senior said in a quiet voice 

Ricky furrowed his eyebrows and let out a quiet laugh, thinking that EJ was just playing around with him, "Yeah, alright babe."

"I'm being serious, give me back the jacket Ricky." EJ said in a more serious tone, staring straight into Ricky's eyes

"W-what?" Ricky questioned, taking a step back his hands holding to the jacket sleeves tightly

"You heard me Ricky, give me back _my_ jacket." 

"EJ..you cannot be serious. You know who much this jacket means to me, you know how much it means to both of us!" Ricky attempted to get through his sentence without his voice breaking but failed 

"It doesn't mean anything to me Ricky. It's nothing more than a jacket, so give it back." 

Ricky's eyes filled with tears at EJ's words, he knew that it was just a jacket but he thought that it had meant something to EJ like it had meant something to him.

Ricky was extremely upset but didn't want to argue so he took off the jacket, leaving him in his plain black t shirt and threw it back at his boyfriend (ex boyfriend??), looking up at him with hurt and tear filled eyes before turning around and running to the bathroom.

~

Ricky sat in the bathroom stall, his head in hands as he sobbed, letting out all of the emotions he had been keeping in ever since EJ started being distant. He pulled out his phone, sloppily texting Nini to come to the boys bathroom and Nini arrived as fast as she can, storming inside not caring that she wasn't allowed in, "Ricky?" She whispered, looking under all the stalls until she saw his green vans under the last stall. With a sigh she went up to it and knocked, "Ricky? Let me in?" She heard him sigh before standing up and opening the stall door, revealing his pale skin and red eyes, Nini immediately engulfed him in a hug, holding onto him tightly and rubbed his back in a comforting manner. "H-he made me give back the jacket" Ricky mumbled into his best friends' neck, sobs racking through his body Nini sighed and continued rubbing his back, "It's okay Ricky..you'll be okay"

Ricky nodded and tightened his grip on her, beginning to calm down slightly, "I don't know what I did wrong, what did I do to make him hate me?"

"Ricky, I promise he does not hate you" Nini said as she pulled away from the hug, keeping her hands rested on his shoulders

"But he does! What else explains it? He doesn't kiss me, he doesn't hug me, we don't hang out, we don't even fucking hang out anymore! I don't know what I did, I tried to be good enough for him but I couldn't do it." Ricky ranted, more tears falling from his eyes causing Nini to wrap his arms around him again holding him tightly

~

EJ had heard the entirety of Nini and Ricky's conversation. He had been coming into the bathroom to freshen up and heard the two of him talking, eavesdropping from behind a wall. His heart broke when he heard Ricky's words. The fact that Ricky thought that he had hated him, EJ had waited until the two had stopped talking before stepping from behind the wall and shyly walked up to the pair, his shoes catching their attention, "Uh hey."

Ricky cleared his throat and looked up at EJ, wiping his eyes, "Hi"

Nini looked between the two boys and decided that she would see herself out, giving Ricky a small smile and kiss on the cheek before walking out of the bathroom

"Ricky, I hope you know I don't hate you" Ricky scoffed, crossing his arms,

"Yeah? Then why have you been avoiding me for so long? You act like I'm such a fucking burden to you Elijah."

EJ bit his lip, knowing that Ricky only called him by his real name when he was genuinely upset, "Something happened in the locker room and it just threw me off I guess, I'm sorry"

Ricky rolled his eyes, looking up at him, "And you couldn't have just talked to me about it? Instead of making me feel like absolute shit for so long." "Ricky, I'm sorry. You know that I love you, It just got under my skin."

"What happened in the locker room?"

EJ sighed, playing with his fingers, "Um well, one of the guys said that one of his friends came out to him as bisexual and I guess it just got to me. I couldn't stop thinking about how people would think of me so I just distanced myself I guess."

Ricky bit his lip and reached over intertwining their fingers, "EJ, you know that you shouldn't care about what people think. We accepted you, the water polo team accepted you. I promise you, you have nothing to worry about."

EJ nodded and kissed his hands, "I love you Ricky, this is really unromantic because we're in the boys bathroom but I really do love you Ricky."

The junior laughed softly and got up on his toes, pecking his lips lightly, "I love you too EJ." EJ smiled as he stepped back from Ricky and took off his jacket handing it back to his boyfriend, “Here. I owe you it.” Ricky’s smile brightened as he took back the jacket immediately putting it back on himself, “Never take this away from me again dickhead.” The senior chuckled and wrapped his arms around Ricky’s shoulders, walking back into the school hallways with him, “Wouldn’t dream of it baby.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! this was my first fic on ao3 in this fandom so i hope i did one of my fave non canon ships justice! :)


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